Istanbul belonged to Türkiye.
In a Sinan Erdem Sports Hall transformed into a sea of red and white, Türkiye defended their European crown, defeated Italy in a breathtaking five-set final and secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The final of the 2026 CEV Women’s European Championship had everything: momentum swings, spectacular individual performances, two of the world’s greatest opposites going point for point, a passionate home crowd of 17,299 spectators and, ultimately, a team capable of finding something extra when everything was on the line.
Türkiye beat Italy 3-2 (16:25, 25:22, 12:25, 25:21, 15:10) after 122 unforgettable minutes, becoming European champions for the second consecutive time and only the second time in the country’s history.
For Italy, the defeat was particularly painful.
Julio Velasco’s team had arrived in Istanbul as reigning Olympic and world champions and had the opportunity to complete a remarkable collection of titles, and an European triumph would have made Italy only the second women’s national team after the Soviet Union to hold the Olympic, World Championship and European crowns simultaneously.
For two sets, and especially during the third, that historic achievement appeared within reach.
Italy started the match with authority.
Paola Egonu and her teammates immediately imposed their rhythm, taking control of the opening set and winning it comfortably, 25-16. Türkiye responded in the second, but the final remained delicately balanced until the closing stages, when the hosts found the composure to level the match with a 25-22 victory.
Then came the third set.
Italy produced one of its most dominant performances of the tournament, overwhelming the hosts 25-12. The world and Olympic champions were simply unstoppable, and after three sets they appeared to have regained complete control of the final.
But this was Türkiye, playing at home, with an entire arena behind them.
Daniele Santarelli’s team refused to allow the final to slip away. Türkiye rediscovered its energy, its aggression and, above all, its belief. The fourth set became a battle of nerves, with Italy fighting to close the match and Türkiye desperately trying to force a deciding set.
The hosts held their nerve.
A 25-21 victory sent the final into a tiebreak and changed the atmosphere inside the Sinan Erdem completely.
Türkiye carried that momentum into the decisive set. Italy had shown throughout the tournament why it was considered one of the strongest teams in the world, but in the final moments it was the home side that found another level.
Melissa Vargas once again took centre stage.
The Turkish superstar finished with 28 points, exactly the same total as Egonu in a fascinating personal duel between two of the most devastating attackers in international volleyball. But when the championship was decided, Vargas was on the winning side.
Zehra Güneş added 12 points for Türkiye, while Italy received 16 from Ekaterina Antropova and 12 from Myriam Sylla.
The 15-10 tiebreak score completed an extraordinary comeback and immediately unleashed celebrations across the arena.
There was also a statistical curiosity that perfectly captured the strange nature of a five-set volleyball match.
Italy actually scored more points overall, winning the total count 103-93. Much of that advantage came from the extraordinary 25-12 third set, but volleyball does not reward the team that wins the most points. It rewards the team that wins three sets.
And Türkiye won the three sets that mattered most.
The victory also added another historic chapter to the country’s rapidly growing volleyball story.
Türkiye successfully defended the European title won in 2023 and became the first team to lift the continental trophy on home soil since Serbia achieved the same feat in Belgrade in 2011.
The triumph confirmed the extraordinary work of Santarelli and his players, who have established themselves among the dominant forces of the modern women’s game. For Vargas, the tournament ended with another individual recognition as she was named the Most Valuable Player.
More importantly, however, Türkiye now has something even bigger to celebrate: a direct ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The final also brought an end to Italy’s remarkable run against European opposition.
The Azzurre had entered the championship on an extraordinary sequence of victories and had won 39 consecutive official matches against European national teams. Türkiye finally brought that streak to an end on the biggest possible stage.
Italy will leave Istanbul disappointed, but its performance throughout the tournament confirmed once again the extraordinary depth and quality of Velasco’s team. The Olympic and world champions had been pushed to the limit, and they came within one set of adding another major trophy to their collection.
On this night, however, Istanbul had only one winner.
Türkiye.
“I am incredibly proud of this team and of the way we have stuck together. I think the whole of Türkiye should be proud of this group and of what we have achieved. We knew Italy was an incredibly strong team and we had many ups and downs throughout the match but we left the negative moments behind us and focussed on staying positive. To crown ourselves European champions before this crowd is a feeling that is hard to describe. I really have no words,” said Eda Erdem, captain of Türkiye
Earlier in the day, Serbia completed the podium by defeating Poland 3-1 (25:21, 25:19, 15:25, 25:18) in the bronze medal match.
Tijana Bošković was once again Serbia’s leading figure, producing 29 points in a spectacular scoring battle with Poland’s Magdalena Stysiak, who finished with 28. Aleksandra Uzelac added 15 points, while Branka Tica and Hena Kurtagić contributed 12 each.
Serbia controlled the first two sets before Poland produced an emphatic response in the third. The Polish team won that set 25-15 and briefly appeared capable of turning the match around, but Serbia recovered its composure and closed the contest with a 25-18 victory in the fourth.
The bronze medal carried special historical significance.
It was Serbia’s third European bronze, following previous podium finishes in 1951 and 2015, while the victory also ended Poland’s recent run of four consecutive wins against the Serbian team.
For Poland, fourth place repeated its result from EuroVolley 2019 and extended its wait for another European medal. The Polish women have not reached the continental podium since winning bronze in 2009.
But the final day of EuroVolley 2026 will be remembered above all for the scenes that followed the last point of the gold medal match.
The whistles, the noise, the flags, the tears and the celebration of thousands of supporters told the story better than any statistic could.
Türkiye had entered the final as defending champions.
They left it as champions once again.
This time, they did it at home.
And after conquering Europe for a second consecutive time, the Sultans of the Net can already begin looking west — all the way to Los Angeles.
All-Star Team:
Opposite: Melissa Vargas (Türkiye)
Setter: Alessia Orro (Italy)
Libero: Gizem Örge (Türkiye)
Middle blocker: Hena Kurtagic (Serbia)
Middle blocker: Zehra Günes (Türkiye)
Outside Hitter: Myriam Sylla (Italy)
Outside Hitter: Derya Cebecioglu (Türkiye)
Coach: Daniele Santarelli (ITA/Türkiye)
MVP: Melissa Vargas (Türkiye)